State Champ Radio Music
Page: 127
Trending on Billboard
Bono and The Edge of U2 accepted the 2025 Woody Guthrie Prize on behalf of the band on Tuesday. The award was presented for embodying the legacy of the legendary folk singer. The event was held at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma – and marked the first time Bono and The Edge had been there since a U2 tour stop in 1981 to promote the band’s debut album, Boy.
The 2025 Woody Guthrie Prize celebration was hosted by the Woody Guthrie Center. Preceding the award presentation, Bono and The Edge participated in an onstage conversation about art and activism with producer and musician T Bone Burnett.
“Our favorite protest songs always had a sense of vision, something to aim for. … You don’t talk about the darkness, you make the light brighter,” The Edge said, adding: “I believe music can actually change the mood of the room and actually shift a culture.”
Bono credited Bob Dylan for leading U2 to Guthrie’s music. “Bob Dylan really did bring us to the place where the song was an instrument to open up worlds. And the world of Woody Guthrie, I wouldn’t have entered if not for Bob.”
Bono also alluded to the current challenges confronting America. “America is the greatest song still yet to be written. The poetry is there but it’s still being written… don’t imagine it will continue to be extraordinary on its own, that if you fell asleep and woke up in twenty years, the world would be fairer or freer. It won’t, that’s not the way it works.”
When speaking with Burnett about the songwriting process relative to protest songs, Bono said, “You can’t write a song to order.” He read lyrics to a song that is a work-in-progress, written about the killing of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen in July by an Israeli settler.
Bono and The Edge surprised attendees with a six-song performance, including two songs in which they included snippets of Woody Guthrie songs (“Running to Stand Still” with a snippet of “Bound for Glory) and “Pride (In the Name of Love)” with a snippet of “Jesus Christ”). Other U2 songs in their set were “Mothers of the Disappeared,” “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “One” and “Yahweh.”
Guthrie’s granddaughter Anna Canoni and Woody Guthrie Center director Cady Shaw also spoke at the event. “Woody and U2 have been aligned for decades,” Canoni said. “Whether it is protesting against war and violence, standing up for humanitarian rights, singing about greed, corruption and injustice.”
The event served as a fundraiser to support the Center’s educational programs, public concerts, exhibitions and the legacy of Woody Guthrie. The event was presented by the Harper House Music Foundation.
The Woody Guthrie Prize seeks to recognize artists who reflect Guthrie’s belief that music can be a force for social justice and change. Previous honorees include Tom Morello, Pete Seeger, Mavis Staples, Kris Kristofferson, John Mellencamp, Chuck D, Joan Baez, Bruce Springsteen and Pussy Riot, as well as groundbreaking TV producer Norman Lear.
Guthrie’s most famous song is “This Land Is Your Land,” which he wrote in February 1940 in response to what he felt was the overplaying of Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America” on the radio. Guthrie died in 1967 at age 55 from complications of Huntington’s disease. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as an early/musical influence in 1988 and received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2000.
U2, which also includes Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr., has won 22 Grammys, more than any other group or duo in history. Their Grammy collection includes two awards for album of the year, two for record of the year and two for song of the year. U2 was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005 and were recently named Fellows of The Ivors Academy, the highest honor in British songwriting.
Trending on Billboard
Miley Cyrus is channeling a painful memory into music for one of the most highly anticipated films of 2025: Avatar: Fire and Ash.
As announced Wednesday (Oct. 22), the pop star will contribute an original song to the Avatar sequel’s soundtrack. Sharing a snippet of the track on social media, Cyrus shared that she was inspired by her own experience with losing her Malibu home to a devastating fire in 2018 while working on the track.
“Having been personally affected by fire and being rebuilt from the ashes, this project holds profound meaning for me,” she wrote. “Thank you, [James Cameron], for the opportunity to turn that experience into musical medicine. The film’s themes of unity, healing, and love resonate deeply within my soul, and to be even a small star in the universe the Avatar family has created is truly a dream come true.”
In the sneak peek at the song, Cyrus sings over a lush orchestral arrangement, “Even through the flames, even through the ashes in the sky/ Baby when we dream, we dream as one.”
Avatar: Fire and Ash is set to premiere in theaters in December, more than 15 years after the first film in the franchise came out. The original Avatar — which starred Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana — is considered the highest grossing movie of all time, raking in more than $2 billion in the box office.
Cyrus has been open about how seriously the 2018 wildfire affected her. At the time, she posted that the home she shared with then-husband Liam Hemsworth had been completely destroyed, though all of her animals were safely evacuated.
When wildfires again broke out in California this year, Cyrus again touched on the experience. “It’s a feeling you don’t ever forget,” she said. “Walking up to the door you would pass through daily, looking forward to being greeted by the ones you love like you always do but instead being met by a pile of ash and rubble.”
See Cyrus’ announcement below.
Honored to support Avatar: Fire and Ash with an original song I’ve written with Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. Having been personally affected by fire and being rebuilt from the ashes, this project holds profound meaning for me. Thank you, Jim, for the opportunity to turn that… pic.twitter.com/OyHvzZJhXp— Miley Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) October 22, 2025
Trending on Billboard YoungBoy Never Broke Again‘s wife, Jazlyn Mychelle, gifted her husband a very unique chain in celebration of his 26th birthday. The Philadelphia jeweler, Shyne Jewelers, posted an Instagram carousel on Tuesday (Oct. 21), showing the intricate details that make up the rapper’s new piece. The chain’s diamond-encrusted rope includes the names of […]
Trending on Billboard Nicki Minaj has continued to troll Jay-Z with various AI-generated images and shots on social media, and 50 Cent has enjoyed the fireworks with his popcorn out. The G-Unit mogul reposted an AI-generated video Minaj posted of Jay-Z in a pink wig to his Instagram on Tuesday (Oct. 21), which he’s since […]
Trending on Billboard
The Cult have announced that they will be taking a hiatus following the conclusion of their current North American tour.
In a statement shared with Billboard by frontman Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy, the band announced that they’d be taking a long break from touring to focus on other creative endeavors.
“Mother Nature has a cycle of change and evolution that is inevitable,” the statement began. “The moon’s phases change, tides rise and fall. Change is necessary for creation and rebirth. It is with this in mind that, following the remaining dates on our current North American The Cult/Death Cult 8525 Tour, we have decided to step away from touring for an undetermined amount of time. We have toured extensively over the last few years and we shall now shift our focus to writing, recording new music, and exploring other projects that shall be revealed over time. It is a time for us to turn inward to recharge our spiritual batteries.”
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
The Cult went on to add that they have five more shows left in their tour, and that they look forward to celebrating them with their fans.
“When we return to the stage, it shall be with an even stronger fire and energy that we will share with all of you. Ours is a communal bond, and it will not be broken, simply paused. Until then, we have five remaining shows on this current tour, culminating at The Shrine in Los Angeles on Oct 30. Please join us for what has been an incredible celebration of 40 years of The Cult and Death Cult.”
Additionally, Astbury and Duffy shared their own individual comments at the end of the statement.
“It’s been a beautiful three years celebrating our music with The Cult family around the world. Now it’s time to go home and spend time with our own families, and create some new music,” Billy wrote.
Meanwhile, Ian added, “My deepest gratitude to all who attended and immersed themselves in our world. I am deeply grateful to be connected to our Cult family as we ready ourselves for our final five shows for some time, and we take the opportunity to dive deeper into our next creative adventures. More shall be revealed. Blessings to you all.”
Founded in 1983 under the name Death Cult, the British group shortened their name to The Cult in January 1984. The British rock group have dropped 11 studio albums, with their most recent, Under the Midnight Sun, arriving back in 2022.
Read the full statement on their Instagram below.
Trending on Billboard Jason Aldean’s first career retrospective, 30 Number One Hits, debuts at No. 4 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart (dated Oct. 25). It also starts at No. 21 on the all-genre Billboard 200 with 22,000 equivalent album units in the United States in the week ending Oct. 16, according to Luminate. The […]
Trending on Billboard The Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, long recognized as one of the world’s top music institutions, proudly joined this year’s Billboard Latin Music Week as an official sponsor. Explore See latest videos, charts and news For nearly a century, the Frost School has played a pivotal role in […]
Trending on Billboard
The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week, for the upcoming Billboard Hot 100 dated Nov. 1, we look at some new blood that might freshen up the chart’s top 10 in the coming weeks.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
Olivia Dean, “Man I Need” (Capitol/Polydor/Republic): If there’s one rising pop star actually making a noteworthy impact in this period of total Taylor Swift dominance, it’s Olivia Dean. The U.K. throwback singer-songwriter has been gradually entrancing bigger audiences on both sides of the pond for all of 2025, and it’s resulted in her new album The Art of Loving not only debuting atop the U.K. Official Albums Chart and in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 — but climbing one spot on the latter chart in each of the two weeks since its bow, as multiple songs from it continue to grow on streaming.
The biggest of those breakout songs is easily the jubilant advance single “Man I Need,” which first crossed over to the Hot 100 in August. “Man” bounded its way up to No. 12 on the chart earlier this October, before getting buried (like the rest of the chart) under Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl avalanche, falling to No. 20. This week, it begins its rebound, climbing back to No. 17.
It should have even more room to grow soon. Not only will some of the Showgirl songs start to slip out of the top 15, but there are additional openings in the chart’s top tier now thanks to recent Billboard rule changes allowing for songs to go recurrent on the Hot 100 quicker than they used to — with such long-running chart smashes as Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control,” Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” and Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” falling off the chart this week as a result.
With those hits out of the way, and Swift’s songs losing momentum in their third week of release, it could be a clear path for “Man I Need” to become Dean’s first Hot 100 top 10 hit in the next week or two. Also helping: Radio has begun to embrace the song, as it debuts at No. 40 on Radio Songs this week, and rose 30% in airplay audience over the first four days of the current tracking week (Oct. 17-20), compared to the previous period, according to Luminate.
Leon Thomas, “Mutt” (EZMNY/Motown/Interscope Capitol): “Mutt” has been sniffing around the top 10 of the Hot 100 for months now, peaking as high as No. 11 on the chart before also falling prey to the swarm of Swift debuts. Thomas‘ breakout hit is steady at No. 18 this week, and may be due for a rebound in the weeks to come with space likely opening up above it.
And despite a radio presence that has already been gaining momentum for most of 2025 — the single was technically a summer 2024 release — the song is still growing this late into the year. It reaches a new No. 3 peak on Radio Songs this week, with 59.2 million in all-format radio audience, and climbs 9-7 on Pop Airplay. If it just stays the course for another week or two, “Mutt” may finally have its day inside the top 10.
Kelahni, “Folded” (Atlantic): A long-overdue pop win for acclaimed R&B singer-songwriter Kehlani came this summer with her viral “Folded,” which gradually slithered its way into the Hot 100’s top 20. It’s receded to No. 21 since peaking at No. 18, but radio is really starting to try it on — the song rises to No. 13 on Radio Songs this week, while it holds in the top five on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and even bubbles under Pop Airplay — and its streaming remains very strong.
Tame Impala, “Dracula” (Columbia): For the last decade, we’d only be talking about Kevin Parker’s Hot 100 presence in the context of his writing and production work for pop A-listers like Lady Gaga, Travis Scott and Dua Lipa. That changes this month with the breakout of his outfit Tame Impala’s dancefloor-ready single “Dracula,” which debuted at No. 55 on the Hot 100 two weeks ago and sits at No. 59 this week.
The song should make a particular surge on next week’s Hot 100, thanks to the debut of “Dracula” parent album Deadbeat — the added streams and momentum from which have even vaulted the song into the top 10 on Spotify’s still Showgirl-littered Daily Top Songs USA chart. From there, it might just be a question of how much radio joins the party — and early signs are encouraging on that front, as the song is up 28% in all-format reach over the first four days of the current tracking week.
Trending on Billboard
Yes, baby, Madison Beer has announced the release date for her upcoming album, Locket, which will arrive in January 2026.
Beer made the news official via Instagram on Wednesday (Oct. 22), while also revealing the project’s cover art, which finds the pop star holding a golden heart-shaped locket.
Locket is slated to be released on Jan. 16 via Epic Records, and Beer shared that she’s never been “so proud” or “excited” about a project in her career.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
“Locket , my new album , will be yours 1.16 you can preorder it now – link is in my bio (♡ ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈ ) !!!!!!!! i really can’t believe i am saying this,” she captioned her post. “This album means the world to me, i’ve never been so proud or excited about something n i am soooooo beyond excited for you to listen :’)) this project is my world locket 1.16 !!!”
The artist also said in a press release, “After writing the album, it feels like each song lives within this metaphorical locket for safekeeping. Each album feels like an era and once the albums are out in the world the chapter for me, usually with what I wrote about, is closed.”
The 26-year-old set the table for the album with a trio of singles: “Yes Baby,” “Bittersweet” and “Make You Mine.”
Beer released a self-directed visual for the airy “Bittersweet” on Monday (Oct. 20), which finds her evading paparazzi and arguing with The Summer I Turned Pretty star Sean Kaufman.
“I think the album has such duality — there are songs that are upbeat but still emotional,” she told Vogue of Locket in an interview also published Oct. 22. “It’s a real roller coaster.”
It’s been a fun month for Beer. She made her Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show debut Oct. 15 in Brooklyn, where she sported wings and performed tracks such as the aforementioned “Bittersweet” and “Make You Mine” during the show.
Beer’s last album, Silence Between Songs, arrived in September 2023 and reached No. 86 on the Billboard 200. The dreamy pop project was also nominated for best immersive audio album at the Grammy Awards.
Find the Locket cover art below.
Trending on Billboard
The NFL is standing by Bad Bunny as next year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner, regardless of the controversy surrounding the decision.
While speaking to press on Tuesday (Oct. 21), the league’s commissioner, Roger Goodell dismissed questions about whether the NFL would reconsider the selection of Benito to perform at the big game in February. “He’s one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world,” he said, according to CBS Sports. “That’s what we try to achieve.”
“It’s an important stage for us,” Goodell continued. “It’s an important element to the entertainment value. It’s carefully thought through.”
He also pointed out: “I don’t think we’re ever selected an artist without some blowback or criticism.”
The commissioner’s comments come amid backlash from certain people — primarily MAGA conservatives — who have taken issue with the choice of a Spanish-speaking musician to perform at halftime. President Donald Trump called it “absolutely ridiculous,” while White House advisor Corey Lewandowski said, “It’s so shameful they’ve decided to pick somebody who seems to hate America so much to represent them at the Halftime Show.”
The chart-topping singer-rapper — who is from Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States — has never indicated that he hates America. He has, however, expressed his hesitance to tour in the U.S. due to concerns that ICE might target his audiences, a fear that Lewandowski further stoked by adding in an October interview that immigration enforcement agents would be present at the Super Bowl.
“There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally,” the advisor said at the time. “Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find you and apprehend you and put you in a detention facility and deport you.”
Turning Point USA, an ultraconservative youth organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk, also announced its intention to host an alternate halftime show out of protest.
But while there is a loud and vocal group speaking out against Bad Bunny’s appointment as 2026 halftime headliner, countless others — from Shaboozey to Jennifer Lopez — have shared how excited they are for Benito’s performance. Shakira also recently said, “It’s the perfect moment for a performance like this.”
She added in an interview with Variety, “I’m so proud that Bad Bunny, who represents not only Latin culture, but also how important Spanish language music has become on a global scale and how universal it has become, is getting to perform on the biggest stage in the world.”
